Alberto Fernandez-Nieves
Assistant Professor

Ph.D., University of Granada, Spain, 2000
Phone: (404) 385-3667 ~ Lab: (404) 385-3668
Office: Boggs B19

Lab: Boggs B50 & 51

EMail: alberto.fernandez[at] physics.gatech.edu

 

■ Research ■

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Soft materials are materials whose properties are determined by internal structures with dimensions between atomic sizes and macroscopic scales. They are characterized by energies that are typically comparable to KT. As a result, they have low elastic moduli, often ~1-10 Pascals. Typical soft materials include liquid crystals, polymers, colloidal suspensions and emulsion drops. These materials, unlike conventional simple liquids, are locally heterogeneous and can have broken symmetries that affect their physical properties. Hence, although they often exhibit liquid-like behavior, soft materials also often exhibit properties of solids.

Our laboratory studies the physics of soft materials with a focus on the connection between microscopic order and macroscopic properties. The underlying theme is to pursue basic understanding and address fundamental questions. However, we also address applied problems and pursue industrial collaborations since many of the materials we study can be viewed as model systems for those that are often used in applications. Current projects include (i) studying the phase behavior and properties of packed soft objects, (ii) understanding the consequences of confinement and curvature over the equilibrium states of ordered materials, which in many cases require the existence of topological defects in their ground states, and (iii) developing microfluidic techniques to study fundamental fluid mechanic questions and to generate new materials through directed assembly and mixing of the components.

■ Publications ■

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